US$1.125 million for Galaxy Gladiators Lantau’s Jofra Archer at IPL auction
The Sussex all-rounder is one of the world’s leading T20 players and is slated to play at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz
The Hong Kong T20 Blitz will boast a million-dollar man after all, with rising all-rounder Jofra Archer snapped up by the Indian Premier League (IPL) for more than US$1 million in last week’s initial draft.
The 22-year-old has lit up the T20 world with his performances in Australia’s Big Bash League and he was the subject of fierce bidding before the Rajasthan Royals finally claimed him for US$1.125 million for the next edition of the IPL.
Sussex all-rounder Archer, who grew up in Barbados but is waiting for his chance to play for England, went for 18 times his base price at the auction.
It’s all good news for Galaxy Gladiators Lantau, who has signed Archer for the Hong Kong T20 Blitz from February 6-11 at Mission Road. He teams up with Sri Lankans Kumar Sangakkara and Seekkuge Prasanna, New Zealand’s James Franklin, South African Cameron Delport and Chetan Suryawanshi, of Singapore, as the Gladiators overseas recruits.
“Wow can’t put this feeling into words,” Archer tweeted after being drafted.
Australian Chris Lynn was originally to play in Hong Kong for Hung Hom JD Jaguars, but the first man to signed a million-dollar deal with the BBL was forced to pull out after being picked by Australia for their T20 home series against England.
Archer is a fantastic replacement, if not for Jaguars but for the Hong Kong tournament as a whole. Playing for Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, Archer has picked up more than 30 wickets at an economy rate of 7.81 and boasts a strike rate of 18.1. With the bat his T20 strike rate is 145.45 and he has also proved himself as a dynamic fielder.
At Royals, Archer will team up with England’s leading all-rounder Ben Stokes, who cost US$1.4 million but whose availability may be in doubt after he was charged with affray for a fight outside a nightclub last year.
